Harness attachment



(ModelJ 0. 00mm,- HARNESS ATTAGHMEN'T. 'No. 244,555. v Patented July 19,1881.

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UNITED STATES PATENT Ormcn.

JAMES C. COVERT, OF WEST TROY, NEW YORK.

HARNESS ATTACHMENT.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 244,555, dated July 19, 1881.-

' Application filed May 2,1931. (ModeL) West Troy, in the county of Albany, and in the State of New York, have invented certain new andus'ef'ul Improvements in Harness Attachments and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this specification.

This inventionrelates to a fastening device for attachment to the end of a rope to enable it to be adjustably secured at any intermediate point of the main portion, its object being to dispense with the use of screw-thimloles and other devices used for a like purpose, and to obviate the knottin g of ropes to guarantee the maintenance of a rope-end in the position to which adjusted, and to facilitate the adjusment of the same. y

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 illustrates the application of my invention to a halter in use. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a halter provided with my improved fastenin g device. Fig. 3 shows an edge and a face view of a modification of the fastening. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of another modification; Fig. 5, a like view, showing only two apertures.

Referring to figures, the letter A denotes a fiat plate of metal oblongin shapeand having formed through it a longitudinal series of four" adjacent holes, B. Near one end of the plate a loop, 0, formed in one piece with the plate, projects laterally, and has loosely engaged with it the shank of a snap-hook, D. The

' main portion or body of the halter E is twined back and forth through the first three holes, commencing at the loop end, and with the hole at the other end is engaged the hook of a snaphook, D, the shank of which is firmly secured to the end of the halter. This snap-hook D merely serves as a means of attaching the plate A to the halter end to enable it to be readily detached therefrom, if desired. The plate might be attached directly to the halter end, the same as is the snap-hook, by bending said end through the end hole of the plate and making it fast. The object of the snap-hook D is to connect the plate with one of the bitrings, in order to hold the halter-loop well forward and off the animals throat.

In the case of a halter the snap-hook D very much facilitates its application and removal; butit is obvious that if the halter end were attached directly to the plate the loop might be enlarged by loosening the halter in the holes in the' plate and slipping said plate along. This slipping'along can only be effected by bending the rope so as to move transversely with respect to the plate, for whenever the halter is subjected to longitudinal strain it is griped firmly by the partitions between the holes and the end walls thereof, and the more strain there is put upon it the tighter it is held, the friction between it and the several surfaces against which it is forced in different directions being so great as to effectually prevent its slipping, and the only Way to decrease this friction is to decrease the force which occasions it, that is, to relieve the strain upon the halter and-ease up its tortuous course through the holes of the plate when said plate may be adjusted, as desired.

Neither of the snap-hooks shown in Fig. 2 is absolutely necessary, as the halter end may be attached directly to one end of the plate,

and when a loop of proper size is formed around the animals neck there is no danger of choking by the tightening of said loop, as the plate cannot slip upon the halter under any strain 'to' which the animal can possibly subject it.

The simple form of thefastenin g shown in Fig. 3 will therefore be found quite efficient as a halter-fastening, or securing the end'of any other rope firmly, though adjustably, at any intermediate point of the main portion. In this form of the device I prefer to bend slightly in oppositedirections, as shown in Fig. 3, the end portions a a of the plate through which therespective end holes areformed, as thereby the ends of the plate are caused to bend the halter at a sharper angle, and consequently increase the frictional resistance to its longi tudinal movement .under strain.

In the modification shown in Fig. 4 I substitute a hook, F, for one of the end holes or loops in the plate A, this form of my invention being especially designed for application to hammock-cords, in which the hook F will be detachably engaged with a ring or loop at the end of the cord, the main portion of which will be passed back and forth through two or more of the holes.

It has been customary in halters to fix at an intermediate point a surrounding thimble having a projecting loop or eye, with which a hook attached to the halter end is to be engaged, the said loop or eye being formed on a screwshank, which is inserted through the wall of the thimble, so that its tip will clamp the halter when screwed inwardly, and some halters are provided with another similar thimble and screw-loop having a snap attached for en gagement with the bit-ring. These devices are more or less injurious to the halter, expensive, and troublesome to adjust.

The economy and convenience of my improved fastening in being formed in one piece and grasping the rope at several points, whereby, undue pressure in any particular place is prevented will be apparent.

What I claim is- 1. A halter provided with a plate, A, having a series of openings in which the rope may be tortuously threaded through, and an end ring or opening to which one end of the rope may be attached, whereby an adjustable loop is made for the neck of the animal, substantially as specified.

2. A metallic halter-plate having a succession of openings for the tortuous passage of a rope, and provided with an eye upon one edge to receive a snap-hook or other fastening, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 16th day of April, 1881.

JAMES C. COVERT. 

